RANTS: THE CRUISE BLUES
For years I’ve gnashed my teeth as cruise lines talked ecotourism and practiced eco-sabotage. Rumors and lawsuits about dumping sewage and even furniture and appliances at sea have circulated for decades. Finally, Ross Klein decided to blow the whistle, documenting some of the worst offenses in Cruise Ship Blues: The Underside of the Cruise Industry. Klein is not an environmentalist nor a travel writer. He is an associate professor of social work at Memorial University in Newfoundland, Canada. But he’s a self-described "cruise junkie," who made dozens of voyages before taking on the industry. He says, “What's needed is strong law, not voluntary compliance.” His site, www.cruisejunkie.com, details incidents of illness, accidents, sinkings, labor issues, persons overboard, and more. Here are a few of the latest news reports:
ATTENTION ALL SHIPS: STINKY SEAS
Richard Shulman and his girlfriend were set for a vacation at sea; what they got was trial by sewage. Their Carnival Cruise stateroom toilet had overflowed when they boarded and staff were nearly as offensive as the noxious odors. So Shulman did what any irate consumer should do: he documented the sewage mess on videotape and posted it on youtube. Here’s the link, demonstrating again the power of the ‘Net. Did the couple get satisfaction from Carnival after a miserable cruise? They were refunded half the expense with an apology. Read more here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24357062/
Crew Abandons Sinking Ship with Passengers Aboard, August 3, 2007.
When the Greek ship Oceanos sank off the coast of South Africa because of poor maintenance, the captain didn't exactly go down with the ship. In fact, he and the rest of the crew bailed out, leaving all 571 passengers aboard. This video footage (posted several weeks later on Youtube.com) shows how terrifying the ordeal must have been. Luckily, all passengers were saved by helicopters. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BFux2AAMso
Alaska Cruise Ship Runs Aground
Juneau, Alaska, May 14, 2007 — All passengers have been safely evacuated from a small cruise ship that ran aground 49 miles west of Juneau at 1:40 am local Alaska time. The 299 foot vessel Empress of the North was cruising the Inside Passage when it grounded near Hanus Reef in Lynn Canal, Alaska, in calm weather and calm seas. The cause of the incident was not immediately apparent. The crew contacted the Coast Guard via VHF radio on Channel 16 reporting they were aground with 281 passengers and crew on board.
Caymans Ban Cruise Ships to Protect Coral.
George Town, Cayman Islands, May 1, 2007 (AP) — The government said Tuesday it has banned cruise ships from anchoring at a port where their huge chains have damaged coral reefs. Environmental officials say some coral can be preserved despite extensive damage along the sea floor near the Spotts Dock facility, which is used as an alternative port when seas are too rough for cruise ships to call on the George Town harbor. "Because cruise ships are the biggest vessels to use the area regularly, their chains tend to cause a lot of the damage," said John Bothwell, a research officer with the British Caribbean territory's environment department.
Santorini Under Threat from Cruise Ship Oil Spill
April 12, 2007. Environmentalists have launched a major operation to contain a massive oil spill caused when the Greek cruise ship Sea Diamond hit a reef off the Greek islands last week.
The 22,412-ton vessel, operated by Louis Cruise Lines, sank near the island of Santorini, one of Greece's most popular tourist destinations, early on Friday. More than 1,500 passengers were evacuated last Thursday and the Greek government initially declared the operation a success.
But now it is struggling to avert a potential environmental and economic disaster, as tourists prepare to visit the Greek islands this summer. Sea Diamond's tanks are thought to have stored up to 400 tons of oil and lubricants.
New York, NY, February 6, 2007 -- Norwegian Coastal Voyage and its parent company, The Hurtigruten Group, are reporting that no environmental damage or traces of pollution have been found at or around Deception Island in Antarctica, the site of the MS Nordkapp’s recent grounding. As expected, all traces of the limited discharge of marine gas oil from the MS Nordkapp had disappeared by Saturday, February 3. This is consistent with the fact that marine gas oil easily evaporates and rapidly degrades, helping to minimize any effect a spill may have on the environment.
Passengers Injured When Cruise Ship Tips
Miami, Florida, July 19, 2006 (CNN) -- A cruise ship listed sharply off Port Canaveral, Florida, injuring at least 93 passengers, 16 of them seriously, according to the Cape Canaveral Fire Department. Two victims were airlifted to local hospitals, according to paramedics that the Coast Guard transported to the ship as it returned to port. Ten ambulances, three helicopters, four buses and mass-casualty trailers were on hand as the vessel arrived at the port.
Cruise Ship Pollution. Download this report by Bluewater Network: www.bluewaternetwork.org/reports/cv/Cruiseship_MiniReport_06.pdf